Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-12-16
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT..
What Has Been Done in the Pension
and Public Land Bureaus.
The Secretary of the Interior Reports
to the Sovereign People.

The report of the operations of the
interior department for the year of 1887
has been made public. The secretary
says:
The report of the commissioner of pen
slons, presented herewith, discloses a very
satisfactory condition of affairs in the
management of that bureau, and evidenc-
es a greatly increased efficiency, and
shows a diminished expenditure, i. e.
while the payments have increased, and
while the volume of work has been great
iy enlarged, the expenses thereof have
been diminished, clerk hire has been less,
and all the incidental EXPENSES have
been decreased, while the number of pen
sions allowed has been increased. 1t also
appears that the average annual value
thereof has been added to.
desire to call attention particularly to
the suggestions of the commissioner for
additional legislation Conforming to
those suggestions will, i'll my Judgment,
tend to the harmonious and equitable ad-
ministration of the laws now governing
the granting of pensions, and will re-
move many of the inconsistencies and in
congruities of existing law. and very
many of the present causes of com
plant.
In addition to the suggestions made by
the commissioner of pensions my attention
has been called to the the fact that under
existing laws, dependent. orphan children
of deceased soldiers, who may be entitled
to pension, can not have such pension
continued beyond the age of 16, regard
less of their phJ steal or mental condition.
There are few instances in which such
children are physically and mentality
utterly incapacitated for earning their
own livelihood, and in instances where it
is made clearly to appear that the condi-
ton of mental imbecility or insanity,
or such feebleness of mind or
body, exists, as to make these
children utterly helpless for earn
ing their own livelihood, it seems right
that pension should be continued to them
for longer period.
The comparisons instituted in the re-
port of the commissioner of pensions
with the pension laws and systems of
other modern powers tend to show with
unmistakable clearness, first, the liberali
ty of the government of the United States
in dealing with its pensioners, far eX-
ceeding in general allowance and in the
aggregate the amoSnts paid out by the
governments of other lands to their pen
that in our American system compare
lively few distinctions are made on ae
count of rank as compared with the dis
tinctions made on this account in the
other systems. There prevails in the
system of pension laws of this country
the great democratic idea of equality of
Nan, and pensions are issued rather on
the ground of individual disablement
than on account of the rank previously
borne in the military service. Such dis
tirctions are still maintained, it is true,
but they are slight as compared with
those maintained in other countries.
The estimates for appropriations made
by the commissioner of pensions, ard
submitted through this department and
the treasury. have examined critically
and believe that they are framed with due
regard to economy and the needs of the
service. respectfully suggest that they
may be made without curtailment. They
evince careful study of the needs of
the pension system, the probable outlay
for the ensuing year, and the cost of the
bureau il all its details.
In addition to the recommendation of
the commissioner of pensions, l would
suggest that widows who may remarry,
and who may subsequently, become wild
ows, or be divorced, without fault upon
their part, should have their pensions re-
vived to them for the period of such sec
ond widowhood.
As the chief of this bureau is soldier
distinguished for his gallant services and
sufferings in the cause of the union, /
have confided to him the exclusive man
agement thereof, and although his policy
has OF oil bod al fNh It,,
is due the credit for the success which has
marked its administration